Do not..............

[Waterfield]

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Our gym moved next door and they have not put any mirrors up yet (I am not even sure if they will) and I have heard some of the gym brah types moaning about it. "I need to check my form." No you don't, you just want to bust a double bicep pose out everytime you walk into the gym you numpty.

The bit where I train the only mirrors are below the knees. I remember walking in for the first time and hearing people complain, "what am i supposed to do, flex my calves?".

[vannymac]

form checking in mirrors is fine...........very useful for things like lateral dumbell raises.

Also I think everybody has the odd glance in the mirror, a majority of people who go to gyms are training for vanity reasons so it makes sense to have a look every now and then. This is different to taking your top of in the middle of the gym and flexing, which i have seen. Thats extreme but people get a bit OTT about looking in the mirror, its your body have a look if you want.

Just save the semi naked stuff for at home

[19ninety]

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use a resistance band for kipping pull ups.

Works a treat when your starting out and have weaker upper body strength.

[stronglikewood]

Take up benches doing concentration or wrist curls. Sit on a step or something and let people use the benches for 'big' exercises if you see the gym is becoming busy.

[Odevans]

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Take up benches doing concentration or wrist curls. Sit on a step or something and let people use the benches for 'big' exercises if you see the gym is becoming busy.

What about using benches to use your mobile phone? That's cool, right?

[SirJinks]

Ever use the words smash, ravage or shred out loud when talking to your training partner about what body part you want to train.

And be humble, you will get far more respect being the quiet guy who trains hard rather than the typical "gym bro".

[SpiderDan]

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Works a treat when your starting out and have weaker upper body strength.

Its fine to use band assistance for regular pull ups and actually build some strength and technique

When you're flopping about like a fish on a bungee cord you arent doing anything useful.

[alhales66]

Doing bicep curls with an olympic bar on the squat rack breaks me- p!ss off & do it somewhere else cause no-one's looking at you. Generally taking up a load of equipment. Leaving equipment (especially dumbells and weight plates) on the floor. Oh, and getting in the way of my prowler run. 100kg loaded Prowler smashed full speed into their ankles usually gets the message across.

[awynn]

Don't
Be afraid to ask questions - 99% of people at the gym are for the right reasons, and the same reasons as you. If they're passionate about it, they'd be only too keen to give some advice.
Sacrifice weight for form - We'd all love to squat 250, but we'd all also like our spines to remain in tact.
Hog the equipment - if someone asks how many sets you have left, ask them what they're training, if they're doing the same as you ask them if they want to jump on while you're resting. You never know it might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Do
Pull ups over pull downs
Bar over smith machine
Compounds over isolations
Ask questions
Talk to people
Read articles, books, magazine
Align your goals and focus on these
Enjoy it

[dope540]

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Its fine to use band assistance for regular pull ups and actually build some strength and technique

When you're flopping about like a fish on a bungee cord you arent doing anything useful.

for strength nd technique, yes.

for a crossfit wod, no.